Double, the iPad telepresence robot rolls around the office when you can't

Get ready to see iPads zipping around your office. As a remote worker I'm fascinated by telepresence robots, or a remote robotic avatar which lives at an office and roams the halls under your control, typically interacting through a 2-way video chat tool. Naturally, Double Robotics took the iPad's advantages and built what looks like a tiny Segway for the iPad to move about on, calling it the Double.

The Double mounts an iPad up top for communicating, has an adjustable height, and uses a second iPad for controls. The video below shows the robot in action. The iPad is almost perfectly suited to this task, being a lightweight but head-sized video communicator when needed.

It's brilliant, minimal and will cost you US$2,499 by December. You can pre-order for $1,999 but the iPads aren't included. The Double is quite reasonably priced for such a thing, as telepresence robots tend to be a specialized industry with units selling for $10,000 or more. Double Robotics may have a hit on its hands if the Double can stand up to the abuse of roaming around an office or industrial setting.